The celebration for this Class of 2026 was transferred last-minute from the university’s impressive Forumzaal auditorium to a large, air-conditioned classroom in another building because of the Code Red heatwave measures across the country on Friday, 27 June. Nevertheless, the intimate ceremony included formal presentations of the diplomas for all 23 graduates in the cohort, and awards for two graduates who graduated Cum Laude, and a keynote speaker from Rabobank. The ceremony concluded with a celebratory buffet dinner at Maria’s Cantina.
The ceremony was webcast for family and friends who couldn’t travel to Rotterdam.
Leadership developmentKeynote speaker was Martine Martens, Head of Financial Economic Crime Wholesale & Retail Europe and Africa at Rabobank. Martine graduated with a Global Executive MBA (OneMBA) from RSM in 2020. She chose to do an MBA when she needed to add an international element and leadership skills – and she now leads teams of up to 1,500 people.
For the GEMBA class of 2026, their careers are already established, and they similarly appreciate the leadership development that comes with an MBA. Graduates have an average age of 41, and 16 years of work experience. Their academic backgrounds are diverse: business and economics, engineering, marketing and sales, medicine and sciences, and they work in industries like aviation, hospitality, energy and oil, IT and logistics. They are an international group and come from Italy, Türkiye, Russia, Romania, Spain, Philippines, Canada, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Brazil and the Netherlands. Cum Laude GEMBA graduate Harmen de Boer wrote on LinkedIn: “I entered as an engineer and evolved into a strategic leader along the way.”
Joining Harmen on the Dean’s honours list was Cum Laude graduate Wouter Burger.
Students’ farewell
GEMBA 2026 graduates Ikram Mataich and Tim van Asch spoke about 'the illusion of the golden ticket and the power of authentic leadership' to describe their GEMBA experience. They spoke of joining the programme in 2024 thinking that an MBA would be a golden ticket to great things, but realised that unlocking opportunities comes with being your most authentic self, and that’s a power that can be harnessed in your leadership style. Daniel Dorobantu led his fellow graduates through a GEMBA pledge.
Learning to be a leaderThe new graduates were asked for their thoughts of the whole process of the MBA programme:
Wang Long Li said: “I joined GEMBA to learn everything I needed as a leader – to take my company to its next stage and prepare for international expansion. Over an intensive 21 months, I grew and gained confidence. But I also found something I never expected, and even more valuable: like-minded people, meaningful connections, and friendships that have shaped me to lead not just my company, but myself, into the next chapter of my life.”
Anita Ip said: “The GEMBA journey has been transformational, not only in becoming a sharper, more adaptable business leader in a rapidly changing world, but also in understanding what kind of leader I am and what kind of leader I want to be. The strategic leadership development challenged me to reflect and receive feedback to take my leadership competencies to the next level and to become more aware of them.
“The global experiential learning study trips were exceptional, placing us at the centre of gravity for digital transformation, entrepreneurship, geopolitics, and leading with impact in emerging economies. The lectures at the guest universities were phenomenal, as were the conversations with companies navigating their own challenges and future directions. I am happy and proud to graduate from the programme with a new definition of what corporate success looks like and what it means to be an authentic, courageous leader.”
